Succeeding In The Voice-Over World

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I’m sure you’re aware of the voice-over industry. Media producers of all kinds contract voice actors to read commercials, audio books, videos, animated productions, etc. Apparently, there is also an industry in selling the dream of becoming a highly-paid voice actor – the business of certain voice-over coaches promising to get you closer to Hollywood producers. Before I go further, let me state that there ARE lots of reputable and helpful VO coaches out there that won’t charge you tons of money in exchange for a false promise. They genuinely sell their service of helping you become a better voice actor.

But the sub-industry of coaches promising the moon for a lot of your money is growing. And you should be wary.

In my experience, the only way to make money as a voice over actor is the same as any actor – start with talent, get a bit of help, and then start auditioning, auditioning, auditioning. And also like any successful actor, you’ve got to have a thick skin and freakish level of persistence. Even then, you’ll probably not make more than a decent living wage. It is the rare – and extraordinarily lucky actor of any kind, that makes the big big bucks.

If you are serious about getting into the voice-over business, see my article Voice Over Jobs: Where to Find Them and How to Get Them, which will show you how to get started. I’ll now add to that the advice to be careful about finding a voice-over coach. My advice is to avoid anyone wanting to charge you more than about $100 per hour. And of course, you should ask other voice-over actors you meet along the way to recommend someone.